Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Is it okay if when getting T shots the needle hits the vein sometimes? That happens sometimes when the nurse gives me my shot. Just wondering if it's a big deal or not?

How do you know a vein has been hit? There will always be some bleeding, if you hit a 'big' vein there will be considerable bruising, but in the muscle areas you should be targeting that is unlikely.

Cindy

I thought I read when you hit a vein you bleed and after a day or so if feels bruised. I didn't know if bleeding was normal or not when getting T shots b/c you have to be
so specific where you get your shot and your not supposed to bleed.

IDK, about that cause everytime the nurse did it, it bleed...but when  i do it, it never bleeds. However i think i hit a small vein once cause like a min. After the shot i got dizzy and my pulse increased and i felt sick..which has never happened until that one time

You should'nt be hitting a vein when injecting.  You want the T to go into the muscle, not into the blood stream.  I'm
sure the nurse knows what she is doing, so don't worry about a little bleeding.  And, if you start injecting yourself,
the nurse will show you how to check to be sure you are not hitting a vein before you inject the T.  Also, if you learn to relax your muscle before the injection, you won't get the muscle soreness or bruising. 

You don't want to inject directly into a vein (which you can avoid by aspirating), but if you nick a vein on the way in or out, that's fine, normal, and unavoidable.  There may be some bleeding, but it's okay.  Don't worry about it.

Thanks guys.

Yeah it's completely fine... I have that about every other shot. Just don't land IN a vein and inject into it... that would not end well.

Most shots will bleed at least a little cause you have thousands of capillaries in your skin and its impossible to avoid them. You aspirate once you have the needle in to see if you're in a vein, as long as you don't aspirate blood you're good.

Quote from: mowdan6 on June 21, 2011, 11:49:29 PM
You should'nt be hitting a vein when injecting.  You want the T to go into the muscle, not into the blood stream.  I'm
sure the nurse knows what she is doing, so don't worry about a little bleeding.  And, if you start injecting yourself,
the nurse will show you how to check to be sure you are not hitting a vein before you inject the T.  Also, if you learn to relax your muscle before the injection, you won't get the muscle soreness or bruising.

while it is VERY true that t should NOT be going into a vein, it ISN'T necessarily true that it should be going in the muscle either. some people (like myself) are instructed to give it as a subcutaneous injection. it's
more likely that you'd hit or scrape a vein while giving that shot, but it doesn't mean he or his nurse are doing it incorrectly.